Shugo Chara: Tara's Story
by detectivezelda
Summary: One shot: It's years after the previous antics against Easter, a new generation has been born and hopes and dreams are at an all time low. Tara, a fourteen year old girl, finally learns what it means to go after your dreams.


**A/N: Hello! Here's a story set in the Shugo Chara universe. It's a story idea I've had for a while, but never got around to knowing what to do with it. Then I figured why not post it here? xP There's a bit of Amu in here, but not much else. It's pretty much about original character's.**

***Please know that I do not own any of the ideas by Shugo Chara. I just wish that I too could have my own heart's egg. x3 Thanks and I hope everyone who reads enjoys this story! ^^**

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"I remember when I was younger…The adventures we all had...There were good ones and bad ones, but most of all I was always learning something new…about those around me and seeing just how similar we all actually were. I remember being afraid of change…but how I eventually realized that change was a good thing." The older woman placed a wizened hand on a dresser. Slowly, the camera moved up to frame her mouth as she smiled. "Isn't that right Ran, Miki, Su? We had amazing times…all four of us…and Dia." Her smile grew bigger and four eggs appeared in a basket on her dresser. She slowly touched them all softly and slowly. "Another time of change is slowly upon us…People are slowly forgetting to have dreams…to work towards them…but I know that this won't last forever…everyone has dreams…and as soon as one wishes to actually achieve them…a new and greater era will be born…I know it." The woman smiled as all four eggs wiggled softly. Yes, that new era would soon be upon them. A new era where everyone worked hard to achieve all of their dreams. One much stronger than what happened in her own childhood. It was that new era that caused Amu to smile upon that day. New beginnings were always the best.

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"And that concludes another episode of Naru Umi." As the credits began to roll Tara wiped her eyes of fresh tears.

"Amazing, just amazing." She said, between sobs. She clicked off the television and smiled. "Who'd have thunk Saska Uchin would pose as a victim this week? Such excellent story telling!" She slid on her black shoes and adjusted her red skirt to make sure it was even. "I think today will be the day. I'm sure of it." She jumped up and went to find her coat. "Mom, I'm off to school!"

"Okay, Tara sweetie! Enjoy your day!" Her mother called to her from the kitchen where she was getting ready to head off to the bakery down the street.

"I will!" Clicking the lock behind her, Tara stood on her porch steps. "Today will be the day that I Tara Limmon will join the anime/manga club!"

She ran all the way to school acting out different parts of todays episode of Naru Umi. She jumped up on top of a ledge and smiled wickedly. "This is where the lies end Saska Uchin."

"Do lies every really end?" Tara nearly fell at the sound of the voice actually speaking to her. She turned to see a guy with dark black curly hair smirking at her from a nearby tree. He was wearing the black slacks, white shirt and red tie that was the boys uniform, but she didn't really recognize who he was. He didn't wear a jacket even though the air was crisp.

"Of course they do. There is always a glint of truth shining between the lies." She frowned. She didn't like that this guy had overheard her, but she hated what he seemed to believe even more. There was something about the way he spoke that rubbed her wrong. The guy just continued to smirk at her.

"Aren't you naive?"

She scowled at the guy then shrugged. "If believing in the truth makes me naïve, I'll happily be naïve for the rest of my life."

The guy's smug look finally dropped a little. "Whatever."

She watched as he went into the school and blinked. "What was that about?" She wondered feeling a bit uneasy.

"Hi Tara!" Tara's thoughts left that of the guy and she turned and watched as a stout girl with long brown, wavy hair came racing toward her. She smiled and waved.

"Hi, Julie!" She greeted the girl. The two girls hugged as they did every morning.

"Today's the day right?" Julie said, with a knowing smile.

"Hey, I'm serious about it today."

"I'm sure you are." Tara pouted a little.

"I really am. I won't let anything stop me!"

"Except for your stage fright. Trust me Tara you know more about anime than anyone in that clubroom. You'll probably be the president in a week if you joined."

"I dunno about that." She frowned. "I mean I love anime and all, but…when I think about actually joining the club I freeze up."

"I don't understand how you can be so outgoing and yet so nervous all at the same time. That's the main reason you missed the cosplay convention this past summer."

Tara sighed. She was looking forward to going, especially since this was the first year her mother said she could, but the thought of dressing up as her favorite anime character and going to the convention scared her so much she wound up not going.

"Yeah, I know."

"But hey, cheer up. Today's the day right?"

"Exactly!" She nodded and both girls headed to school.

At the end of the school day, Tara stood in front of the clubroom her hand shaking as she moved her hand over the doorknob. She had done this everyday since the club had opened. The thing was nobody at school even knew she liked anime, much less that she wanted to join the club except Julie.

"Come on! You can do it!" She told herself, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't do it. She sighed and frowned. "I guess maybe I don't love anime as much as I say that I do."

"So you're an anime freak." She recognized the voice before she saw the person. She turned to see the guy she had seen this morning. At some point his shirt had become untucked and his hair just a bit more messier than normal. He was now also wearing a black blazer with the sleeves rolled up.

"I'm not a anime freak," she replied, but she felt a bit foolish for even replying to the guy.

"Obviously not. You're too chicken to actually go into the clubroom and be surrounded by the real freaks. Or maybe you're just a closet freak who doesn't want to associate with the rest of them. Either way you're a coward."

"No…I'm not," but she hesitated. She looked down and frowned.

"If you weren't a coward, you'd have gone in there already." He shook his head. "Just give it up. Just like the rest of them you don't have any conviction for what you believe in and want. You're just like all the others. Nobody does anymore."

She raised her head up at this and narrowed an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He paused and looked at her. "It doesn't matter if you don't understand what I mean without me explaining it. Let's just say I thought you were different, but you're not."

He walked away leaving her standing there looking after him. She hated to admit it but his words stung. "No…conviction." She stared at the club door and sighed again. "He's right. I don't have it in me to go in there. I am a coward."

She left the school feeling sad and miserable, even more so than any other day before. "Why? Why can't I ever go in there? Why am I such a coward?" As these words left her mouth she heard a crash. She looked in the general direction of where she thought it had come from. Without even knowing she was going to, she raced until she got to the area where she was sure the sound came from. Then she heard the voices.

"It's like taking candy from a baby." Someone said.

"Even easier than that," another said, with a chuckle.

Then she heard a different but familiar voice. A voice she first heard this morning. "I think you should leave people's heart eggs alone."

There was silence for a moment, just enough for Tara to question what heart eggs meant and why it was the guy from this morning was talking about them.

"Why should we? If the owner's don't care about them why shouldn't we take them? At least we're going to use them."

"Well, I don't disagree with that. If they were foolish enough to let their hopes and dreams die so easily then those people really are stupid." She heard another crash. "But if I did nothing, then this sort of chaos will never end. I plan to put an end to all of your towers."

"Stupid boy. Do you really think they'd break that easily? We've learned from the mistakes of Easter. If we want to keep people's heart eggs we build stuff that won't break so easily because little children like you want to play hero."

Tara could not take just listening anymore. She ran until she could see the scene clearly with her own eyes. In front of her stood two men wearing white lab coats. One had a beard, the other wore glasses. Then she saw the guy with the curly hair. He was no longer wearing his school uniform. He was dressed in all black. A black shirt, black slacks, black shoes and there was a black beat around his waist. The most prominent thing he held though was a sword.

Her mouth dropped at the sword. Where on earth did he get one of those? She watched as he held it over his head at a tilt. "Release the heart eggs now."

"No way!" The man with the beard yelled. "There's no reason why we should."

"Fine. Have it your way." The guy held the sword directly in front of him. "Sword Dance!" The wind around him picked up until it seemed like a tornado had him surrounded. He jumped and slashed down on an Eiffel tower looking machine. She heard the glint of metal against metal.

"Haha, child give it up! We're the true victors of this round."

"Stop it!" Before Tara could even rethink what she was doing she moved as bit closer to the scientists. Both of them turned around and gave her a quizzical look the guy looked at her two and his eyes grew wide.

"You!? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing! What are you doing? How can you destroy their property like that?"

The guy looked at her and sighed. "You don't understand. They aren't good guys."

"The only one who looks like a bad guy here is you! Where'd you get that sword and why are you dressed like some sort of ninja?"

"Don't say it like that! Unlike you I believe in my dreams 100%! I don't have to listen to you who can't even get the courage to walk into a clubroom!"

She stopped talking and folded her arms across her chest. "So what I don't have the courage to walk into the clubroom? At least I'm not destroying others property!"

"Don't you get it? These guys are the bad guys! They're taking people's hearts eggs and taking the negative energy they receive from them for themselves! Do you know what happens when you lose your heart's egg? You lose all of your hope, all of your faith, and your dreams die." He put his sword down. "Just like my sister."

She stared at him. She had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

"Look, I don't know what's going on here but we'll be going now."

"Hey! I'm not done with you yet!"

"I'm sure we'll meet again Damian."

Damian jumped down from off of the tower. Tara watched in disbelief as he landed gracefully and ran until he was right in front of her and in between them. "Not until you release those heart eggs. My sister…"

"Heh, your sister sounds like she gave up on her dreams too easily."

"You…" He gripped his sword tighter. Tara could see him shaking. "You don't know what you're talking about! My sister…she always believed in her dreams! There has to have been some sort of mistake."

Tara watched as tears flowed free from his eyes. This guy…ever since she had met him this morning she didn't know what to expect. He had insulted her on more than one count...but he had also spoke the truth. She was a coward. Instead of facing that clubroom head on, she had run away. She hadn't even tried. She was the opposite of Naru Umi. Naru never would have gave up. She would have entered that clubroom and smiled. She'd have believed in herself, in her dreams, just as she did in every episode.

"Hey, I don't really know what's going on here, but…I feel like something bigger than any of us is happening."

Curly hair guy, well Damian, glanced at back at her puzzled. The look on her face…there was a determination there he didn't see earlier as she stood in front of the classroom, but he was still very sure she had no idea of what was going on. That in itself was enough to make him smile.

"You really need to get out of here. I'm getting ready to finish what I started."

"Oh no you won't!" This time it was none of the current parties voices. Tara looked up to see another girl appear. She was wearing a green school uniform and she was sitting atop the tower with her legs crossed. "I think you know that you can't win at this game Damian. You're not strong enough. Why not give up on your dream's just like your sister did? That's the sort of world we live in anyhow."

"Never! I'll never give up on my dreams! I won't give up on Hachi, my would be self, I won't give up on my sister either. This isn't a battle I plan to lose!"

"Pity you didn't just take the easy way out," she sighed and stood up. "My heart! Unlock!" With those words the most amazing thing happened. The girl was aglow in a brilliant light and once the light dispersed she was wearing a brown vest, a light blue long sleeved shirt, a brown skirt with a trim that was the same color as the shirt she wore. It also had jewels at the end of the tassels. She was dressed like a cowgirl even down to the boots and hat.

She spun a rope over her head. "I'd reckon you should give up now while you still have the chance."

"No," he held his sword up again." I'll just have to take you down Estel."

Estel laughed. "I dare you to go ahead and try."

Tara watched as Damian swung at Estel with all of his might but she was always faster than him and dodged with ease. She then jumped as far back as she could from him. "Rope Entanglement!" Tara watched in disbelief as the rope moved by itself and wrapped around Damian's body. "Seems like my dreams are much more stronger than yours."

There it was again. Their dreams. While both of them were fighting against each other, there was one thing both of them had. Their dreams.

"Well, I guess you guys can take care of the rest here I'd reckon. Now that the little insect has been taken care of."

"Wait! Why are you doing this? If they really are destroying peoples dreams somehow why are you helping them?" Estel turned and looked at Tara.

"You want to know why?" She asked and moved closer. "Anyone willing to throw away their dreams don't deserve to keep them or get them back. Why should they, when they couldn't believe in themselves enough to even try anymore? They threw their heart egg away and by the smell of it, you're close to doing the same."

Tara widened her eyes. "I…have a heart's egg too?"

Estel scoffed. "Don't you know anything? Everyone does, but nowadays everyone's too quick to give up. Now more than ever before there are lots of heart eggs that have been discarded. Instead of working hard to achieve their dreams, they gave up. The idiots."

"Anyway lets go. I'm sure the rejects we got today will be more than enough to fuel another tower."

Tara stood frozen as they walked past her. There was nothing she could do. Nothing she could…"Wait a minute!" She turned around and faced them. They had stopped and turned around too, annoyance etched on their faces.

"I…I…I'm not going to give up on my dreams."

Estel rolled her eyes. "It's too late for that. Your heart egg's nearly dead. Pretty soon you'll lose it."

"Even if I lose it, I won't give up on my dreams."

Estel looked annoyed. "Look, since you don't seem to get it. Once you give up on your dreams you lose all will to even try anymore. It's why so many people today are depressed. Once you give up on your dreams you have nothing. Let's go. She's just a waste of time."

Tara watched as they left and turned and looked at Damian. His head was down and she could see that he was softly crying. Here he was, someone who had fought for his dreams, for his sister's dreams in fact, and he was about to watch her dreams die in the worst way possible, at the hands of someone else.

This only strived to make Tara really angry. She thought about how weak she had been. How all she had to do was walk into the clubroom. "Who cares?"

She watched their retreating forms. "Who cares?" She shouted loudly. "Who cares if I get teased or maybe I fail at first. I should never give up on my dreams! I should try because it's what I believe in. It's something I love to do! I love watching anime and reading manga! I love going on forums and having long discussions for hours about what I predict will happen and above all else I love cosplay!"

At those words a bright light enclosed her and an egg appeared in front of her. Her eyes widened at it but then she smiled. "My dreams aren't going to die! I'm going to work towards them! And then I'll be the best cosplayer in the world."

The egg began to crack and out popped a small little girl who wore a sailor moon type of outfit. Her hair was pulled back in a braid. "Finally! I finally get to meet you! I'm Karin, your shugo chara!"

"Shugo…chara…?" Tara watched in amazement as the little person hovered in front of her. It was the most interesting experience she had all day.

"Yes! I'm pretty much your would be self! You love cosplay more than anyone else. It's your biggest dream." The little girl smiled brightly. "I'm so glad you finally realized what your dream really is."

Tara held the little girl in her hands. "Wow…my would be self. A cosplayer?"

"Yes!" The little person nodded her head. "Exactly!"

Tara looked down the street, the two men and Estel looked at her with a bit of shock, but Estel recovered first. "So you managed to save the little one eh? I guess you should be thanking me for lighting a spark in you."

"I've saved my dream and now I'm going to save everyone else's! Because…everyone deserves a second chance to believe in themselves!"

At that, Tara became bathed in a bright light. She knew exactly what that meant. "My heart: Unlock!"

Once the light dispersed, Tara was dressed in an orange jump suit. Around her forehead was the ninja headband of Ko. "Character transformation! Cosplay Naru Umi!"

Tara looked at herself and beamed. "This is the best cosplay outfit I've ever seen!"

"It's your would be self!" A voice that sounded like Karin spoke. "This is so awesome! You character transformed!"

Tara pointed to Estel. "I'm going to be the best cosplayer ever! Believe it!" She used one of Naru Umi's most used lines and turned and looked at Damian. "Tell me, where is your sisters heart egg?"

Damian motioned to the tower. "It's being used to fuel that tower. If you destroy that all of the heart eggs should be freed."

Tara ran for the tower, but was intercepted by Estel. "I don't think so. I'd reckon you're a 100 years to early to think you can stop me!"

Tara put her hands up into a sign and said, "Shadow clone jutsu!" A single clone of herself manifested. She couldn't help but smile. "This is too cool!"

"Hurry! As this is your first character transformation it might not last long!" Karin spoke.

"Okay!" Tara held her hand out and the shadow clone began to rotate chakra into her hand. Once it was complete Tara ran at full force. "Rasengan!" She shouted as she ran towards the tower. Estel tried to block her, but the other shadow clone intercepted. Then Tara felt the connection of the Rasengan to the tower. She heard the sound of the metal breaking and stepped back. "It wasn't strong enough."

"One more should do the trick!"

"Okay!" She made another shadow clone and let the chakra manifest in her hand. "Rasengan!" She ran fast and hit the other side of the tower. It to cracked under the power of the rasengan. "It's working!" The tower slowly creaked and bent until the whole thing collapsed. Eggs appeared in the gaps of the tower purple, dull, and marked with an x. "Um, what are those?"

"They're x eggs! They are the negative manifestation of a heart's egg!"

"Hey, reach into my pocket quickly!"

Tara turned to look at Damian. He was back in his school uniform and a little person in a samurai's outfit stood by his side. She ran over to him and dug into his pocket. Once her hand touched metal, she pulled it out and looked at it. It looked like a lock with a keyhole shaped like a heart. "What's this?"

"My grandmother gave it to me…She said when the time was right I'd know. I think…now is that time. Try to use it to stop those x eggs."

"Um…" Tara looked from him, to the lock, back to the x eggs. His sisters heart egg was in there somewhere. "Okay! I'll…try!"

She stood up and held the lock up. "I um…I have this lock!" The x eggs wiggled around getting more and more antsy as she did that. Then the lock started to glow. Without knowing what she was doing, she let go of the lock and watched as it floated in front of her. So many mysterious things were happening and she knew she should normally question everything that was happening for an extensive amount of time, but just the way Damian said he knew the time was right for the lock, in some weird way Tara knew what to do.

"Negative heart: Lock on!" The light intensified to include the eggs. Tara held out a finger and pointed and a big heart encircled the eggs. "Open Heart!" Slowly the x's left the heart eggs and they became white and pure once more disappearing into the evening sky.

Tara's character transformation ended and she was left in her school uniform. She looked to her side to see Karin beaming at her. "That was amazing!"

Tara then looked over to Estel who looked shocked. She then narrowed her eyes and frowned. "I'd reckon this isn't over yet. Not by a long shot."

Tara watched them go and then turned to help free Damian. "Thanks." He said once he was free."

"Um…no problem." They stood there for a few moments then Damian sighed.

"I'm sorry if I was a bit…rough on you. The same way Estel felt you giving up on your hearts egg I did too. It's a touchy subject for me."

"It's okay. I understand." The silence picked up. "Um…do you think your sister's heart egg went back to her?"

Damian smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure it did. I hope so. I missed that light that used to be in her eyes. She always did inspire me." He turned to Tara. "Really...thanks."

"No problem."

"No really…what you did was awesome. I never expected your dream to be about cosplay. It's awesome that your shugo chara was born. Enjoy every minute getting to know her. She'll be your new best friend in no time."

Tara turned and smiled at Karin. "Yeah, I'm sure that'll happen. Thanks."

"If there's anything you need to know feel free to ask me…but for now I really need to get home and check on my sister." He shot her a smile. "I'll catch you at school tomorrow?"

Tara blinked at the question and smiled. "Definitely."

"Come on Hachi, we ought to be off." Tara turned and looked at the little samurai that was floating next to Damian's head.

"I'm right behind you."

"Good bye." Tara waved and watched the two of them run off, then turned to smile and Karin who returned it full force.

"I really am glad to meet you! And character transforming off the bet was awesome!"

"It's nice to meet you too Karin. I'm sure we'll be the best of friends."

The little shugo chara nodded her head and smiled. "Yes!"

Holding the locket in her hand a little bit tighter, Tara started on her way home, knowing new adventures awaited her.

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**A/N: Well thanks for reading! It's probably really sketchy in some places but I tried. xP Will I extend upon this…I'm not sure. Since it wasn't really about the main cast we all know and love I don't know how this will be viewed. I guess I'll wait until the reviews come in if any. All in all this was a blast to write and I may visit the Shugo Chara universe again. (:**


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